Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1887-05-05
Stories of the Dead Millionaire.
From the Chicago Times.l

lfTOll bue OulChRO llInersl
In 1879 the Democratic Slate Convention
at Madison nominated Mitchell for Gov
ernor while he was in London. He sent a
cable dispatch positively declining the
nomination, but omitted his signature, as is
customary, to save expense, when the
sender of a cablegram is well known. The
enthusiastic Democrats would not accept
the dispatch as genuine because he had
not signed it. Jim" jenkins, the Mil
waukee lawyer, was delegate in the con-
vention, and defended the genuineness Of
the dispatch by explain ng the custom as
TO cable messages. "Cablegrams cost forty
cents a word," he said, "and We all know
Mr.. Mitchelps economical habits where
expense is not necessary. By not signing
his name to his dispatch he saved eighty
cents" The argument was conclusive to
the Democrats OF the outlying Milwaukee
wards and of the backwoods, and the de-
clination was accepted.
Yet in political matters, when he took an
interest on one side or the other, Mr..
Mitchell was not only generous but lavish
of money. He attended meeting Of the
Democratic State Central Committee in
1871, when ex- Senator j. II. Doolittle was
the Democratic candidate for Governor.
How much money do you expectto raiser"
he asked. He was answered by Sat Clark
that they ought to lave about $4,000.
"Glve me the pen," he said, and pulled the
paper toward him. He signed for 90, 500
half the amount said TO be required-and
drew his check for the money. IL was
about all the money that they had for the
campaign.
He was n delegate to the Democratic
National Convention at st. Louis in
1876, where Tilden was nominated for
President Doolittle, George Il. Smith,
Joe Rankin, n. ID. Fratt, and others
we're his colleagues. At the close of the
convention their several bills we're sent TO
their parlor, the cost of which $500 for
the week. was npportioned among them.
Ringing the bell as a clerk appeared MIR.
Mitchell said: "Make the bill The pro-
nourced it "bull," with bur in his pro-
nunciation) for the room out TO me-" II
was done, and he drew his check for the
whole amount.
His gifts to charity we're very numerous,
and he even allowed himself occasionally
to lie bled TO reasonable extent by frauds
and deadbeats whom he knew TO be such.
He had some worthy pensioners, generally
poor Scotchmen, to whom he gave regular
gratuities. In church matters and others
of really deserving character, he usually
let the begging committee get all that they
could raise from others, and then made up
the remainder himself. :,
When Mitchell was worth 100000 or
| $3.50, 900, and was regarded as a growing
| Western banker, he made his first formal
visit as O capitalist TO the East and went on
to Wall street. He was Immediately se4
lected as their prey by fhe wolves Of the
street. He had determined TO try his luck
q little in stocks and they found out what
his purchase was. They manipulated the
stock, working It down, and hung on 10 il
with characteristic tepacity. He was
called upon for marg ns, and kept putting
up na 0IRs w. and bS NOT xhSs aSs
sharpers were at, He at once drew and
raised enough money 10 buy at its greatly
| depressed value every dollar of stock which
he had margined for a considerable portion
OF its price as IL then stood. "Take that
dom ye," he said mentally and aloud TO the
! whole Of Wall street, as he bade It good-by